Our YOUNG RESEARCH SCHOLAR (YRS) of International Conference on Social Science and Humanities (ICSSH), Singapore 07-08 November 2016 Name: Harsh Prajapati Affiliation: Graphic Designer ( Freelancer ) at www.icreate.org.in , Ahmedabad

1. YOUNG RESEARCH SCHOLAR (YRS)
International Conference on Social Science and Humanities (ICSSH),
Singapore
07-08 November 2016
Harsh Prajapati
YRAICSSH1608118
Understanding Daily Urban Life in a Settlement within a Settlement- { A case study of
Railway-line squatter settlement in Ahmedabad }
Graphic Designer ( Freelancer ) at www.icreate.org.in , Ahmedabad
ABSTRACT: There has been a rapid urbanisation throughout the world which has causedlot of
cities in one way or the other. Because of this, the migration that has been taking place from rural to
urban and urban to urban has increased. Out of all the migrants, majority of the people are those
who can not afford tolive in the cities but still they migrate to cities for better quality of life and
better job opportunities. Formal housing markets are unable to cater all the migrants.As a result of
the rapid expansion of the cities, there has been a rapid growth of informal settlements as well,
often known as slums.
Sources say that by 2030, more than 5 billion people would be living in urban areas which is almost
double than 2007. Slum conditions are mostly defined as lacking at least one of the basic conditions
of decent housing: adequate sanitation, improved water supply, durable housing or adequate living
space. The proportion of urban people livingin slumsis decreasing but still there is an increase in the
absolute number of people livingin slums. Thisis seen more in the sub-SaharanAfrica and southern
part of Asia. UN says that the proportion of urban population residing in slums is 28 % in the Eastern
India.
Since the urban area is unable to provide a better quality of life to people who migrate from rural
area or less urban area, it becomes a big problem for planners to develop and plan the city. At times,
people specifically planners, take these informal/squatter settlements as an obstacle in the planning
processwhere on the other hand, Academicians, critics and researchers take these slums and
informal settlements as an integral part of the development of the city andits life.